Love Odyssey

We just finished our third Safe Passage cruise.  It still surprises me how much progress couples make when they commit to a cruise.  Our third couple was no exception—they worked hard and learned other ways to connect with their partner so that the love and intimacy that initially was present years ago could once more be evident. 

Bryce and I enjoy these cruises but we work hard too.  I admire Bryce’s wisdom about where to delve each day and how to tailor exercises to meet each couple’s needs.  I know that it must take a lot of courage and energy for each odyssey couple to trust us and give every bit of effort to improve the relationship.  We are always tired at the end of each day and I cannot imagine how tired our couples must be.  Not only do we move the boat from one location to another almost every day, but we also move the relationship forward each day.  There is so much new material to digest daily.  

 As I sit here now and look back at the past three Safe Passage cruises that we have completed so far this summer, I want to say “Thank you” to the couples who have been brave enough to trust us and let us “beta test” the Love Odyssey concept.  It seems that it really does work.  And now I look forward to all the new adventures on the relationship sea for couples who need an odyssey to get their relationship back on course again.

 Helen –08/21/10

We had a fun-filled holiday weekend. We left our dock on Friday morning with a couple we have known for many years and their two pomaranians. This couple owns the boat in the slip adjacent to ours and we have shared many an evening in each others boats. The weather was splendid- sunny skies, warm temps, and no humidity. We took the Intracoastal Waterway to Beaufort and then sailed out in the ocean to one of my favorite spots, Cape Lookout. The wind was perfect for a mizzen sail and staysail and in record time we were anchored in front of Shackelford Banks. I love this anchorage because the wild horses frequently come down to the beach. And sure enough, later that afternoon as we strolled on the beach with our three dogs, we witnessed two stallions squaring off over two mares. What a sight to watch the bold up-start come galloping along the edge of the surf within yards of us, his mane and tail blowing in the breeze and the thunderous sound of his hooves on the packed sand!

On Saturday we packed up our dinghy and headed to the ocean side of Cape Lookout National Park where we had a picnic, played with our dogs, and the fellows went fishing.  The water temps. were perfect for a swim and the north wind prevented breakers.  It seemed every boat in the Beaufort area was anchored off the beach.  That evening the fellows took this picture of our boat at anchor at sunset.

On Sunday morning we headed back to Oriental.  Out in the ocean we encountered this large pod of dolphins feeding and cavorting.  We took a picture but it just can’t capture the feeling of over thirty dolphins surfacing around the boat.  I can’t help feeling that they too had a great holiday weekend.

Helen — 07/06/10

I have never had a bad day at the beach and today was no exception.  We packed up some sandwiches and drinks, loaded up the dinghy with towels, chairs, small table, beach umbrella and our little Yorkie, Mitzie-Sue.  Off we sped to the backside of Carrot Island, dog barking with glee.  Mitzie is the perpetual two-year-old; everything is exciting.  Never-mind that she took the same trip to Carrot Island yesterday afternoon—oh no, it is all new and exciting again today.  Bryce and I enjoy her enthusiasm and spunk.  Just look at Mitzie about to kill a ghost-crab!  I would have let her have the experience, but Bryce kept begging me to spare the crab—and maybe her nose!

I think everyone in the Carolinas with a boat was on the water today.  We set up our chairs to watch the traffic streaming in and out of Beaufort inlet.  There were racing sailboats, kayaks, catamarans, runabouts, fishing boats, and the occasional multi-million dollar yacht coming and going.  Then there were all the families with barbeque grills, umbrellas, radios, screeching kids, and barking dogs to add color to the scene.  What fun to just watch!  I don’t think anyone had a bad day at the beach.

Helen –05/30/10

We were supposed to travel back to Ocracoke for the holiday weekend.  I was feeling ambivalent since we had already spent three days there last weekend, but what the heck, I do love Ocracoke.  So when Bryce said that we were going to sail back there again on Friday morning, it was fine and I was psyched.

   It is always hard to get dockage on a holiday weekend and our generator decided to die, which meant that if we didn’t want to roast and be conservative with power while sitting on anchor in Silver Lake, we better leave very, very early in the morning.  So yesterday morning we got up at 3:15 and left our dock a half hour later.  We noticed that the wind was blowing much harder than the weather forecast had predicted, but heck, we are a blue water boat and should be fine.

  When we got out in the middle of the river and put the boat on autopilot, the chart-plotter kept trying to send us back to Oriental.  Bryce had to keep re-programming it, probably about three times.  Then it started to get choppy and the boat was taking lots of blue water over the bow.  We had the windshield wipers going so we could see where we were heading, I was holding the dog in my lap so she would not fall and get hurt with the motion of the boat as she slammed down on waves, we were taking in some water on the galley floor from water being shipped into the dorades, and our power cord that we had coiled up on the bow was perilously shifting around and in danger of falling overboard and fouling the prop.  In addition, the motion of the boat made it difficult to fix breakfast, so Bryce and I nibbled on granola bars.  But as we looked at the radar and listened to the VHF radio conversations from other boats also on their way to Ocracoke, we realized that we were going to be at the head of the pack (of sailboats, anyway) and would most assuredly get dockage.  The boat was flying at 7.5 knots in spite of beating into the wind on engine alone.

 Then as we left the river and got into the Pamlico Sound, the boat’s motion got worse and although we knew that we could make it, we asked ourselves if we were having fun—definitely not!  I admit, I am a fair weather sailor—I don’t like putting my body into a washing machine on the spin cycle.  So we turned the boat around and headed back up river (I think our autopilot and chart plotter were right when they tried to do this earlier!).

 So here we are in beautiful Beaufort, tied up to the town docks and loving every minute of it!  Sometimes Plan B is the better plan.

 Helen –05/29/10

“Loafing” is not a word that Bryce and I use very often.  In fact, it is rare indeed for Bryce and I to use that word in reference to ourselves.  We are both very work-driven individuals and most weekends when we come down here to the boat we have a list of jobs and projects that we plan to accomplish.  But somehow this weekend was different.  We spent the majority of the time just “loafin’”. 

 Our inactivity was probably driven in part by the weekend offerings in Oriental.  Pecan Grove Marina, where we keep our boat, had their annual ‘Spring Fling’ at 1:00 yesterday.  This was really an excuse for slip owners and renters to schmooze at the club house over a barbeque chicken plate.  So there went a few hours.  Then when we returned mid-afternoon to the boat, stomachs laden with all that greasy goodness, a nap seemed in order.  I can usually nap for a just a half hour, but Bryce, who I am sure majored in napping in grad school, can usually while away a good two hours, and yesterday he did.  By the time he awakened from his siesta it was nigh on dinner time.

  Now I had read in the local newspaper that there was supposed to be a pig pickin’ at the inner harbor, so we decided to check it out.  Unfortunately all the tickets for the pig pickin’/fund raiser had been sold out hours before, but it sure smelled good and there was a great trio playing Irish music on the deck next to the tiki bar.  So we grabbed some beer and chatted up some friends for at least an hour.  By then we were really hungry, so we ordered some pizza and took it back to the boat for dinner.  The newspaper also said that there was going to be some live music at Oriental Harbor Marina; we had heard Night Cruise many times before and liked their sound, so at 7:30 we went back to listen.  When they took a break, we walked back to the inner harbor and listened to more music; a new, energy-filled group had replaced the Irish trio.  Then all that walking back and forth got us hungry again, so we stepped across the street to the Bean and had ice cream cones while sitting on the porch and listening to the tunes.  Yes, we did a lot of loafin’ yesterday—and I think we deserved it!

 Helen   05/16/10

This morning we left the coast before seven a.m. so we could make it back to Cary in time for the extended family Mother’s Day dinner.  As I sat at the head of the table in Biaggi’s restaurant and surveyed our family, I felt very proud of this group and bursting with love for them.  Across the table our 38 year old son faced me.  We talked briefly about a trip to Nova Scotia when he was nine, sitting at a picnic table in Fundy National Park and eating five pound lobsters that we could not finish.  Next to me our 23 year old daughter talked excitedly about her up-coming graduation from UNC-G this coming Thursday.  Our daughter-in-law, eight months pregnant, told us about her plans for the summer with a new baby.  It seems this baby is going to get its sea-legs early since we will be taking them to Cape Lookout when baby is only a month old!  All the while our grandson, Andrew, soon to be five, entertained himself at the table with Matchbox cars and spoke about starting kindergarten in August.  My mother, who is ninety-two, eagerly joined the conversation and I am sure had many of the same feelings I was experiencing.  My brother sat next to our mother and engaged our son in conversation about his new red truck, while my sister-in-law tried to nail down a weekend to come sailing with us.  And then of course there was Bryce, sitting by my side, my rock, my soul-mate, and my PIRATE!  Yes, what a joyous day to celebrate the wonderful family that we have!  My wish is that every mom today can experience this pride and joy!

 Helen   05/09/10